by RYAN ARENA

Sports Editor

Heading into this Thursday’s Class 1A Track and Field Championships, West St. John isn’t lacking for momentum.

Both the Rams’ boys and girls track teams captured the Class 1A, Region III track and field title on Tuesday at Jewel Sumner High School, a week after each secured a district championship.

The boys’ and girls’ teams each had top three finishes in nine different events on their way to the top spots.

“It’s a great feeling,” said West St. John boys’ Coach Martin Sylvain. “We knew we’d be pretty strong across the board. I felt pretty good about our times on the track, they were comparable to others going to state. I feel like we’ve got a shot to compete for the title.”

The Ram boys scored 97 points to outlast second place South Plaquemine (76). The girls outscored second place Delcambre 86-75 to take the event.

The Rams’ Donald Brown and Kyla Morris each took MVP honors from the event. Brown was voted the boys’ field MVP, while the Morris was voted girls’ track co-MVP, along with Country Day’s Caitlin LeCorgne.

Brown took three events at the district meet, and almost repeated the feat at the regional. Brown took first place in two events – the long jump (23—2), and the triple jump (44-7). He fell just short in a third, the javelin, where his throw of 163-4 was bested only by South Plaquemines’ Seth Ancar, who posted a throw of 163-8.

Morris, meanwhile, took first in both the 100 (17.78) and 300 (48.97) meter hurdle events.

South Plaquemines’ Bradley Sylve was voted boys’ track MVP, while D’Ellionne Davenport was voted girls field MVP.

Steven Duronslet was another who shined in the field events for the Rams. He notched first in the high jump with his best leap of the year, a 6-0.

“We knew he’d likely finish top 3, but winning it was a real nice surprise,” said Sylvain. “He gave us 10 points we weren’t counting on before hand.”

West St. John’s Terrance Nathan also notched a first place finish. His came in the 400, after he posted a time of 50.82.

All three Ram relay teams took first place in their events. The 400-meter relay team posted a time of 43.73. The 800-meter team posted a time of 1:33.21, and the 1600-meter squad a 3:37.31.

Blake Comminie took second place in the discus, posting a throw of 141-10.

While Morris was the only first place winner among the individual girls, she won’t be along in Baton Rouge next week.

Julissa Louper was second in the shot put

(33-2.5). Other individual girls’ qualifiers for WSJ were: Destani Comminie,  (3rd, javelin, 107-2; Tranell Mitchell (3rd, triple jump, 33-9.25); Talar Lewis (3rd, 100 meters, 13.38 and 3rd, 200 meters, 28.76); and Ambria Major (2nd, 200 meters, 28.24).

The 400-meter and 800-meter Ram relay teams also took first with times of 51.87 (400) and 1:51.06.

All top three finishers from the event advance to the Class 2A Track & Field Championships to be contested at LSU on Thursday.